1Rotorua woman Gwenda Sloane, who stabbed her lover Michelle Hoffman-Tamm 33 times, will spend at least seventeen years behind bars.

2Police may appeal a judge's decision to discharge a New Zealand sports woman on drink driving charges and award her name suppression.

3Police say they are making changes to how they carry out pursuits after a high-speed chase ended with a motorcyclist crashing and receiving a severe brain injury. The Independent Police Complaints Authority found officers were justified in pursuing 34-year-old Dion Troy Batt in Auckland three years ago, but did not hear an order to abandon the chase due to communication problems.

4The family of Christchurch passenger Sean Frost, who was killed in a car accident last year, is devastated after 22 year old driver Cody Pierce pleaded 'not guilty' to some of the charges he returned from Australia to face.

5Hundreds of mourners have farewelled Shalvin Prasad, who was found burnt to death on the side of the road in Kingseat last week. The hunt for his killer is continuing.

6Auckland Council has apologised after contractors damaged the graves of stillborn babies at Waikumete Cemetery.

7Much of the North Island is under a severe thunderstorm watch tonight with flash flooding and tornadoes a possibility in Northland, Auckland and the Waikato. However, the sudden heavy rain has had little impact for drought-hit farmers.

8 A bizarre mix-up has resulted in a tussle in front of the Governor General as he was welcomed at Te Tii Marae in Waitangi today, at the same time as verbal challenges were being exchanged over veteran activist and self-appointed VIP escort Titewhai Harawira,

9David Shearer was endorsed as Labour Party leader in a Caucus vote today, although the party is keeping actual voting numbers secret.

10Today's Superbowl 47 between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens is more likely to be remembered for the half-time performance of Beyonce and Destiny's Child than for the football itself.

11Thirty-three people have been killed in a suicide bombing in Northern Iraq, with another sixty wounded.

12A former United States marine has been charged with murdering Chris Kyle, the country's most prolific military sniper.

13Tourists outside Buckingham Palace were caught up in a dramatic confrontation today between London Police and a man holding a knife to his own throat.

14Scientists have discovered new fish species after a two week survey near the Kermadec Islands.

15The Australian Labor Party's election campaign has had a disastrous start with the party slumping six points in the polls since announcing an election date. Two senior Ministers quit over the weekend, and Prime Minister Julia Gillard's personal popularity has also nosedived.

16The Government says it will cost half a million dollars to run an inquiry into the troubled Novopay payroll system for teachers.

17Don Elder has resigned from his position as Chief Executive of Solid Energy after 13 years at the helm.

18Frenchman André Cassagnes, inventor of the Etch-A-Sketch has died.